One of the things that attracted Dr. Emily Jaeger (PGY-4) to neurology is her interest in communicating very complicated systems—like the brain—in a way that patients and their families can understand. This love for people probably explains why she loves Vanderbilt so much too; the collegial atmosphere and close friendships with her co-residents have inspired her throughout residency.
From her middle and high school days volunteering at her hometown zoo to her upcoming position as a general neurologist at IU Health, Dr. Jaeger discusses her professional path and how she and her co-residents like to spend time together while off-duty.
Tell us about your background.
I grew up in Evansville, Indiana. I did my undergrad in biomedical engineering at Wash U [Washington University] in St. Louis. I decided to stay in St. Louis after that and went to SLU [Saint Louis University] for medical school. In undergrad I initially planned to go into industry. I enjoyed engineering, but at some point I realized I hated coding. I realized that I got so much more enjoyment when I was working with people through tutoring or TA-ing. Because of that, I decided I should go into a people-focused field. I enjoyed medical devices and did some shadowing in the hospital, and I decided to pursue medicine in my junior year of college. I applied senior year and went straight from undergrad to medical school. I thought I wanted to do infectious disease (probably because I took a course on emerging infectious diseases in undergrad that I loved). During preclinicals I realized I loved neuro-anatomy, so I thought that might be something worth exploring. During rotations, I realized that neurology stood out as my favorite among everything I did, and by late 3rd year I felt my choice was solidified.
What was it about neurology that made you decide to take that leap?
I liked the diseases you see in neurology, and I liked the patient population. I did an elective in a Multiple Sclerosis clinic during my second year of medical school. I was interested in the variety of people who had MS and all the obstacles they were dealing with. I liked how the attending would help them with just normal life activities and events. For example, we followed one patient who was trying to get pregnant while keeping her MS at bay.
The brain is confusing, not only for “lay people” but also for us neurologists. How do you make something this complicated understandable for someone who’s dealing with these often unusual and confusing problems? I think communication is really important. We can’t always cure diseases in neurology, but I enjoy being able to help patients understand their diseases and how they can live a better life with their disease. The brain is the most complicated electrical system there is, so I have enjoyed learning about it and helping patients understand it as well.
Why did you choose Vanderbilt?
The people are what made Vanderbilt the choice for me. When you’re interviewing for residencies, you get a vibe for different places. Most programs will give you pretty good training and good exposure to different disciplines. You want to choose a place that you like, where you fit in and get along with your colleagues, and where the people you work with care about you. I had a great conversation with Dr. Lee, who was just starting as program director at the time I was interviewing, about how you help patients understand their diseases. That conversation meant a lot. Everyone also seemed happy and friendly, and it was clear that the residents liked each other. We have everything you would need in an academic center, but the people make the place.
What are your professional interests and goals?
As I got more exposure in my training, I realized I liked too much of neurology, and so I want to be a general neurologist so I can do a little bit of everything. I didn’t want to pigeonhole myself into one box. I love working with headache patients. Some neurologists hate it because it can be very difficult to manage, but it is so common and can be debilitating for patients. It doesn’t have a quick fix, but I like working with people to address it. I love the different procedures we use for headache patients—for instance, using botulism toxin injections for migraine or using EMG for diagnosis.
[After I complete my training], I’m going to be a General Neurologist at IU [Indiana University] Health in Bloomington, Indiana. I’m excited because I’ll get a wide variety of patients and have some time to get exposure working with medical students. It will be private practice but with a flavor of academics if I want that.
What are you currently reading/watching/listening to?
I listen to podcasts a lot. Weird crime podcasts are usually on my list. I just listened to one called “Bunga Bunga,” which details the scandal surrounding Silvio Berlusconi, the former Prime Minister of Italy. I enjoy the history and NPR-type podcasts, as well as the intermittent neurology podcast for studying.
I haven’t read anything lately. I was a voracious reader as a child. Now I typically only read on vacation. I deliberately avoid reading unless I’m on vacation and have time, because I can get too invested and unable to put it down to do anything else.
I watch junk TV too often! I was watching Schitt’s Creek but I got too emotional and had to pause it on the next-to-last season until I’m ready for the series to be over. One of my co-residents got me into the Bachelor franchise, although I’m not nearly as knowledgeable as the people who have been watching for years.
What are your hobbies when you're not on call?
Yoga, little hikes and walks. I live near Ellington Park so I spend time there. I tell people that my “old lady” hobby is cross stitch. I’m the child of two engineers, so that’s probably why I’m so drawn to it. Lately I’ve been doing these patterns of cities. They typically take me 4-6 months. The first one I did was Hong Kong because that was the first place I went outside of the U.S. I just finished Washington, D.C., and will probably do New York City next. The rule is that I have to have been to that place before I can do the cross stitch pattern.
What would your fellow residents be surprised to learn about you?
In middle school and high school I volunteered at the local zoo. I mostly helped with the summer camp, but I was also trained to hold and demonstrate certain animals.You would “earn” different animals based on how many hours you had logged. I mostly held the snakes because they were the calmest, but I held anything from a hedgehog to a bearded dragon to an Indian Runner duck.
Where do you seek inspiration?
Places I’ve been, things I’ve been able to do, the people around me. When my colleagues around me are doing amazing things it makes me want to do amazing things too. I love my patients; I love my nurses; I love my co-residents. They’re the reason I get up to do what I do every day.
What’s your favorite memory you’ll take with you from residency?
Honestly, there are too many memories to count. My class is really close—we hang out a lot outside of the hospital. Even during COVID quarantine, we got together in the park, including significant others and dogs. We managed to get everyone together for my birthday [pre-COVID] and go to City Winery and have mimosas and chat and joke around. We typically do a Thanksgiving meal all together. [Prior to COVID] we used to have Bachelor in Paradise night. I have so many good memories with my co-residents.
